Chapter 35

Liliana's pov

"Presents with pulsatile, expanding abdominal mass. Go!" Jackson says. The boards are approaching quickly and Jackson and I have been spending pretty much every moment we have quizzing each other to prep for it.

"Easy, I'd take the patient straight to the OR and access the peritoneal cavity through a vertical midline incision." I say.

"You guys studying for the oral boards in the middle of the day?" Meredith asks joining us as we stand in front of the OR board.

"Yep, just one of the benefits of having a study partner. You should get one" I smirk.

"I have one, it's just my stupid study partner's to busy trying to save her stupid marriage to actually help me study." Meredith scoffs.

"Well you know what's better than a study buddy? A study lackey, check it. Hey you, brown haired girl, you're up." Alex says signaling for one of his interns to come join us.

"Uh trauma incident or a surgical situation?" She asks.

"You made your interns come up with study questions?" April says.

"I gotta go, Derek's paging me." I say to Jackson as my pager goes off.

"Okay." He nods giving me a kiss before I leave to meet Derek.

"What do you have for me today?" I ask Derek once I find him in the hallway.

"I'm putting you on Callie's service today." He says.

"Why, I don't even like ortho?" I frown.

"You need to impress her. She has a study method that will guarantee that you pass your board, but if you want her to help you you're going to have to make her see what I see in you. Got it?"

"Yes." I nod my head.

"Good, now go make me proud." He smirks before I leave to find Callie.

"Dr. Torres, Dr. Shepherd suggested..." I say before she interrupts.

"Here's how this is gonna work, I talk and you listen. You are here because you and your little pals are all freaked out about oral boards and Dr. Shepherd suggested that Callie Torres might have a special secret study method, right?" She asks as I follow her through the hallway.

"Yep." I nod.

"Yeah, Dr. Shepherd's correct. Callie Torres does have a study method, an excellent study method, but she's not about to just give it away. Callie Torres' study method has to be earned. Frankly she's not sure if Liliana Garcia has what it takes." She says glancing at me.

"Liliana Garcia has what it takes." I say confidently as we put on our gloves and walk into a ER room where our patient is surrounded by people.

"For her sake Liliana Garcia better hope she's right, because today is gonna be a grind."

"Excuse me, coming through." Callie says as we make our way through the people so we can tend to our patient. I'm shocked at what I see as I get a view of the patient, his bloodied arm and hand are stuck in a meat grinder.

"A grind, really." The paramedic mumbles to Callie.

"It's a meat grinder. Oh, whatever like  you weren't thinking it too." Callie says to her. We kick everyone out of the room besides his brothers before we begin examining him.

"Hang in there Dom." One of the patients brother says.

"Yeah, you're looking good bro, real good." The other brother assures him.

"You're lying Tommy. I look like sopressata." The patient says groaning in pain.

"Don't worry Dominic, we just gave you some drugs for the pain, you're going to start to feel better real quick." I say.

"Okay."

"What do you think Dr. Torres? Is this an amputation?" I ask

"I don't know, is it?" She asks me.

"What?" I frown, knowing that I'm not leading on this case.

"You tell me Dr. Garcia, does this look like an amputation to you?"

"Yeah." I nod looking at it.

"Amputate, no you can't I need my hand. Tommy, don't let them take my..." He says before passing out from the pain medication.

"Whoa, is he?" His brother asks.

"No, those are the drugs they work quickly just like we have to." Callie says.

"But you're just going to cut off his arm?" His brother asks freaking out.

"No, this is a teaching hospital, Mike okay? I'm doing a thing. Now, Garcia here's how this is gonna work, if you want my help on the boards you're going to run this. You're gonna decide our course of action, you're going to be the person that stands between Dominic and a hook for a hand. You in or you out?" She asks me.

"I already said amputation is our best option." I say.

"Oh, best?" Callie asks.

"Yes, best." I repeat.

"Okay, so book an OR and fire up the bone saw. Let's move people, Garcia wants to amputate." Callie says, before I find a viable finger.

"Dr. Torres wait, I have a finger here." I say.

"I knew that already Dr. Garcia." She says.

"No, a viable finger. Look at the cap refill." I say.

"Is that bad or good?" His brother asks Callie.

"Dr. Garcia, is that bad or good"

"That's good." I say.

"Alright, so what do you want to do?" She asks me,

"Take this thing off and see what's left."

"Alright, time's a factor Garcia." She says.

"Why is time a factor?" His brother asks.

"Because the longer his hand stays in there, the more we compromise his circulation." I explain.

"Tick tock, Dr. Garcia." Callie says.

"Let's call up to maintanance and get a sawzail." I say.

"Hmm, you really want to wait that long?" Callie asks me.

"Fire and rescue has tools." I say.

"Better." She smiles.

"Hey, these tools. What are they gonna do, rip apart the grinder?" One of the brothers asks me

"To save his hand?" I remind him.

"Yeah, but we dropped a couple grand on that thing. You can't trash it"

"It's to save his hand." I say now growing frustrated.

"Mike, how long would it take you to get that thing apart?" He asks the other brother.

"I take it apart and clean it every night." Mike says.

"We can get him out." Tommy says.

"Yeah, quick." Mike agrees.